Psychological Profile of a Phobic Cockatoo by Sam Foster

The term phobic is being used with increasing frequency to label various avian behaviors. Depictions of “phobia,” as supplied by caregivers, range from a mere hesitancy to step up to dramatic accounts of obvious terror, accompanied by panicked screaming, attempts to flee or hide, and a thrashing of the wings in an effort to escape a perceived threat or danger. My personal interpretation of the word phobic, as it relates to companion cockatoos, is based upon personal experiences and observations, and documented cases of this oftentimes preventable behavior.